Opart Thai House Restaurant

This place is in a location where you have PLENTY of thai places to choose from. Overall, I'd say this one has the best and most authentic food. Unfortunately, the service is TERRIBLE. The people who work there are for the most part unhelpful, and several are downright rude. It almost seems like they don't even care if you give them your business or not. My advice: don't miss out on the great food, but get it to go.

Pros: great food

Cons: rude people

Posted 01/21/09

To me, there are very few places in Chicago that offer "good" Thai cuisine. Some places I've seen offer you a box of noodles or rice, throw in some meat and vegetables and sauce (along with a almost a half a cup of oil), and them calling it Thai food. It's NOT the case with this place. I've been going here since 98 when I was taking class from the "Martial Arts" school down the street and the "grandmaster" took us all to lunch as part of our "training" (notice the " " around the words; I don't consider them a "Martial Arts school" anymore, but that's another review). Anyway, since then I've always considered this place to be the standard for all Thai restaurants to follow. They just recently went through some remodeling and now the place looks better than before with new tabels and decor. The food though is still the same as I had it almost 9 years ago. Everything is good here, but I usually go for my favorites (chicken satay, spring roll, Tom Yum soup, Pad Thai, and/or beef Pad Si-ew). It is convient to get to as well being right at the Western brown line station and a metered parking lot accross the street. Don't let the exterior of the place fool you; once you step into the place, be ready to experience what Thai cuisine is all about.

Pros: Service, good Thai food, convient location, not too expensive, portions are "just enough"

Cons: street parking, could use another expansion, exterior is misleading

Posted 10/28/07

Horrible food and if possible even worse service. This was not our first or second experience there ...

Pros: ambience

Cons: service, food

Posted 03/26/07

We ordered carryout from Opart Thai House last night. The food (tofu satay, Pad Kra Praow Lard Khao with pork, and Pad Kratiam Prik Thai) were delicious, well seasoned and very flavorful. However, the entree portions were very small, the Pad Kratiam Prik Thai especially -- only about 10 shrimp in the whole container (the serving didn't even cover the bottom of the container!). And to charge extra for rice is just ridiculous. We also ordered Tom Kha Kai soup with tofu. It was flavorful, but missing the mushrooms that are a common and delicious addition to the soup; the tofu was also not very well flavored by the soup. We have been on a search for great Thai food in the city; this was by far the best we have been to so far, but still not superb. We'll keep looking. but might be back to Opart in the meantime.

Pros: well-seasoned food, extensive menu

Cons: smallish portions, have to pay for rice?, no mushrooms in tom kha kai

Posted 01/22/07

Excellent food (very much enjoyed the Pad Thai Chicken) -- good service and affordable. One of the best values in the Chicago area.

Pros: food, price

Cons: difficult to find parking

Posted 01/21/07

used to be good food for the money but now- they serve you haf the size portion.... not going to go back there again.

Pros: byob

Cons: small portion-

Posted 12/21/06

I was just there last weekend after not going for a few months, and I was left wondering what happened. The food was still very tasty; however, it wasn't what it used to be. Pad Thai used to be a heaping bowl with all the different components in each corner, waiting for you to mix them all up. But now, they were sort of all smooshed together on the side of a smaller plate. Now, the portion size now isn't skimpy. It's down to "just right" versus the almost comical portion in days past. But the amount of tofu included seemed like it was far less than before, and the pieces were smaller, too. The crab rangoon was delicious as always, and I still think it's some of the best Pad Thai around... but it just felt like a little bit of a let-down from the Opart I had gotten used to.

Pros: Great food, BYOB

Cons: Not quite what it was

Posted 11/15/06

This was once the best Thai restaurant I had ever been to but I'm afraid it's no longer. The food has been variable over the last few months and, more recently, all of the staff seemed to have changed despite the waitress saying that the chef has been with the restaurant ever since it first opened. I suspect the restaurant may have changed hands which is a shame as, although still good, not a patch on what it used to be.

Pros: Still good food.

Cons: Not as good as it used to be and spice level is inconsistent.

Posted 08/02/06

Moved out of town a few years ago, and Opart is one of the first places I hit when I come back to visit.. The food is great, the people are friendly, and the prices are just right!

Pros: Great Food, Great Food , Great Food

Cons: I moved away

Posted 05/22/06

although a bit far from downtown but worth the trip. we will definitely come back. the hot and sour soup was fabulous, the curry and pad thai were also great. we enjoyed eating here. The wine store 2 stores down also has a friendly owner that gives free advise on what wine to choose.

Pros: affordable, fast service, good food

Cons: location

Posted 10/31/05

Hands down the best Thai in the city, I live in river north and make the drive b/c everything in the city is subpar.

Pros: Authentic, Flavor, inexpensive

Cons: Parking

Posted 04/27/05

The food at this restaurant can be spicy for certain patrons who are not exposed to eating spicy. However, if you inform the waiter beforehand, it could be accommodated. Food, overall, is good but service at times could be slow. The wait staff is friendly.

Cons: street parking

Posted 02/20/05

I have moved downtown and definetely miss this restaurant. The food is great and a testament to the restaurant being in business for 11+ years. While the atmosphere is a bit dated, you can't beat the price and the BYOB. The liquor store to two doors down! Service is almost always great and the food arrives quickly and hot. I recommend the Moo-Ping... Yum....! Please expand downtown!

Pros: Food, BYOB, Location

Posted 07/10/04

The setting is very simple but adds to its beauty. The food is also delicious and the service is prompt and friendly.

Pros: cheap, delicious

Cons: no so elegant

Posted 09/06/03

The food and service was great, my son and I had no complaints. We will be back for more!!!

Posted 02/16/03

I've had better Thai iced coffee but their food is great. I'm definitely going back. They have limited seating so you should expect to wait on a Friday night.

Posted 02/16/03

BYOB. . . this place is simply the best Thai food in town. . . decor is simple - no frills. . .

Pros: Great food, inexpensive, no frills

Cons: BYOB, n/a, n/a

Posted 11/25/02

Hands down...this is one of the best Thai restaurants in the country. The appetizers are made with very fresh ingredients. The sauces are homemade. Most of all, the kids love the blend of flavors as much as the adults, making this a wonderful place to expose the kids to new cultures. It's a neighborhood restaurant with a family feel.

Posted 11/11/02

the menu choices were great - lot's of interesting curries. i had the green curry and it was pretty good. the service was SLOW the night i was there, though. maybe just a fluke...

Pros: variety, taste, portion size

Cons: service

Posted 09/10/02

This is the best Thai food I have ever tasted anywhere in this country (even better than what my Thai neighbors make, but don't tell them!). We started with the satay, which was perfect in texture and flavor, then we shared the Pad Thai which had perfectly fried tofu and balanced flavors very well, a curry dish with sweet potatoes and chicken (also amazing), and prikh king beef that even at medium heat was zesty and wonderful. The Thai iced tea was absolutely wonderful, fresh and invigorating, and the Thai custard had the perfect balance of warmth, gentle sweetness, and a melt-in-your-mouth texture. The atmosphere was serene, and the waiter was informative and prompt, a true gentleman. Be prepared to experience ecstacy when these beautiful dishes hit your mouth!

Pros: flawless food, great prices!, quiet and peaceful

Posted 08/06/02

I started eating at Opart's almost 10 years ago and have never been disappointed. The food is great and the service is consistently good.

Posted 07/24/02

right so there is no ambience bit who cares when the food is this good?! always hot and fresh also when you ask for spicy you get spicy so if you cant take it go for mild. the namsod and seafood soup are extra spicy, so good for those cold winter nights. have been to many thai places this is consistently yummy

Pros: yummy food, decently priced

Cons: no ambience

Posted 06/20/02